Wizard of the Grey
by Aria6
Summary: Fantasy AU! Grimmjow is a grey wizard in service to Aizen, who has many dangerous aspirations. Ichigo and Shiro are fugitives, just trying to escape. But why does Shiro feel like he knows the man who tried to kill them? Possible threesomes in this, and definitely lemons. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: A rather short beginning but following chapters will be longer, I promise. This was inspired by For Whose Sake by Dark Immortal Faerie. Enjoy!

* * *

"By the darkness." The grey wizard sighed as he tightened his hood about himself. The rain was cold and constantly trying to get past the folds of the waxed cloth to run down his neck. "Why is Aizen wasting my powers on such a minor nuisance?"

His name was Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. He was the Sexta in Aizen's forces, ranked sixth of his followers. By right of power, he should have been ranked much higher. But his motivation and loyalty were highly questionable, something Aizen was aware of. So instead, he was the Sexta. He didn't really mind. The metal collar around his neck was all that kept him to his place.

Unfortunately, the collar was quite unbreakable and Grimmjow knew the consequences of disobedience. So he obeyed, completing his missions swiftly and well. So it baffled him that Aizen would send out his most dependable if not loyal subordinate to capture a worthless earth wizard.

Earth wizards were far from uncommon. Also known as hedge wizards, earth witches and druids, they specialized in the slow magics of the seasons. Grimmjow had nothing but respect for them. His mother had been one, and his first training had been in those small magics. But the key word was 'small'. They kept pests away from crops, manipulated the rains to be just so, healed minor injuries and generally made themselves highly useful to the peasants and townsfolk. They were no kind of threat to a wizard king like Aizen.

Of course, Grimmjow himself was capable with those magics. So if you wanted to bend the truth into a pretzel, he could be described as an earth wizard. It followed that this young man might be an earth wizard, but not _just_ an earth wizard. If that was the case he would be wringing Starrk's neck when he got back. Grimmjow hated being sent out blindfolded.

Resolving to approach his quarry with the utmost caution, he turned his attention back to the road. There were plenty of tracks, too many for just one person. So far he'd identified two extras and from the depth of the tracks in the mud, they were light. Children or possibly women. If they were children he felt bad for them. There were many ways children could survive without an adult, but most of them were grim.

Sighing to himself, Grimmjow dismounted and led his horse into the woods. He was pretty sure he was close, and he couldn't just ride up on them, not if he wanted to catch the earth wizard by surprise. So he hobbled his horse and gave him a bit of food and water before continuing on foot. If he'd known the man was nothing but an earth wizard he'd have ridden in confidently, but he wasn't willing to bet a copper groat on it.

Caution was rewarded. Huddled around a small campfire were a young man and two girls. Young teenagers, not exactly children but not grown either. Grimmjow ignored them in favour of the man. He reached out as delicately as he could and swore softly as he touched the aura.

"Earth wizard. Sure he is, and my balls can play the piano." Grimmjow snarled almost inaudibly. The aura stank of holy power, so strongly it was almost painful. He could tolerate it, though. A black wizard would have been writhing in pain. Gathering a wisp of power in his palm, Grimmjow cast a sleeping spell. A piece of earth witchery, it was usually only effective on those who wanted to sleep. But he had the power to make it a compulsion and the two girls both collapsed instantly. The White Wizard responded instantly, rising to his feet and pulling in his mantle of power. Although Grimmjow could feel him sparing a moment to check on the girls. Satisfied that they were alive and going to stay that way, he stepped away from them.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" He demanded and Grimmjow laughed harshly. That would be fighting fair, and the closest he came to fighting fair was leaving out the children. He concealed himself in the shadows, gathering dark power to himself like a lover. Then he threw a levinbolt. He deliberately left it rather crude and on the weaker side of what he could do. The white mage deflected it easily. "Coward!"

"Sticks and stones…" The grey wizard breathed. The white wizard cast a levinbolt into the darkness, missing him by quite a lot. "Hah." His next attack was more serious. Fire answered to his call and a dozen tiny fire sprites attacked the white wizard. He fended them off with ice.

They went back and forth a bit, Grimmjow getting a better idea of the white wizard's strengths and weaknesses. The biggest weakness he saw was that the man didn't have a weapon. That was rather common among wizards, but Grimmjow's father had been an exception. He'd started training his son when in both magic and swordwork when he was barely six years old. So he drew his sword and darted out from cover. The white wizard's eyes went wide as he saw the grey wizard and the glinting steel in his hand. He made a sawing gesture but Grimmjow didn't feel anything and assumed the spell misfired.

He was completely wrong. He just barely managed to leap back as a line of white power slashed through the air in front of him. The movement was so quick, so painfully different from his forward dash that he knew he'd pulled something, but that didn't matter. What mattered was the second slash. It happened too fast for him to avoid and went right down his chest. Blood flew away and Grimmjow stumbled back, stunned. There was a man in front of him now, pure white and looking like a ghost. But the fire in his hands was all too real.

Another slash, and this time Grimmjow got his sword up to parry it. Blue eyes went wide as his blade shattered under the impact. The shards of steel glittered in a moment of suspended time before the white fire landed on his shoulder.

The blow knocked him off his feet and Grimmjow fell to the ground, his mind cushioned with shock. Looking down at his right arm, he saw the stump of white bone and the fountain of blood, but disbelief kept him from fully registering the deadly damage he had taken. A foot landed on his chest and Grimmjow looked up into white. To his dazed and failing mind, the ball of white held in a white hand was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Letting his head fall back he smiled as his eyelids began to feel heavy. But he kept his eyes open, gazing into that white. It was getting brighter and he could see the shifts and flows of power. They were… familiar…

"Papa." He whispered, remembering his father's aura. It had looked like that, when he was just a little boy. So long ago… but now, it seemed like yesterday. He couldn't keep his eyes open, but as he closed them he felt something else. Wetness on his face, the little drip drop of rain. The smell of green things and the scent of fresh, damp earth. "Mama." She had loved to garden and take walks in the rain. He'd held her hand and danced through the puddles…

The white figure above the grey wizard was about to finish him off when he heard the words of a dying man. It made him hesitate, for just a moment, and that moment was all it took for his partner to seize his arm.

"Shiro, stop! He's done for." The white mage said and there was a distorted chuckle from the white warrior. He stepped back from the prone body, letting the fire in his hand dissipate. "Now who… oh hell!" The white wizard blanched as he looked down at the injuries. "Shiro, I wanted to question him!"

"Then you'd better stop the bleeding right quick, aibou." The white warrior said mockingly. "'Cause he's about to croak, Ichigo." Ichigo scowled, turning away. "Hey! Whatcha doin'?"

"Leaving. He's one of Aizen's pawns, I couldn't care less." He said shortly then looked back wide eyed as the warrior suddenly called light into his hands again. "Shiro?" He watched, speechless, as his partner pressed the white fire against the grey wizard's stump of an arm. The bleeding slowed to a trickle before stopping entirely. Then he gave the wound on the man's chest the same treatment. "Shiro, what the hell?" The white wizard said when he found his voice. This was completely out of character for his partner. Until this moment, he hadn't even been aware the other could heal.

"Never thought I'd see you leave a man t' die, King." Shiro sounded serious now and Ichigo flushed, unaccustomed shame hitting him. "But truth is, I could go with that. We all have to grow up sometime… it's just… there's something about him." Shiro's voice lowered to a mutter as he stared at the man on the ground. "Something familiar. He feels kinda like a demon but he ain't. Seems like I should know this feelin' but I just can't remember." Shiro shook his head before looking at Ichigo. The white, flowing robes he was wearing hid his face but Ichigo knew it would be identical to his own.

"Shiro… I was thinking of the future." Ichigo said as calmly as he could, looking down at the battered man. He couldn't see a lot, between the dark, the grey cloak and all the blood, but the facial features he could make out were very handsome. "You've just healed him as much as his body will take." If they tried to force more healing on him there would be rejection and system shock. "He can't walk and he's likely to catch something." A weakened immune system was a common complication of that heavy a healing. "I'm alone with two young girls. What do you suggest I do with him?" Ichigo looked at his partner. Shiro looked back helplessly.

"I… dunno… see if he's got some money on him an'… leave Karin and Yuzu here t' look after him while you go buy a horse and cart?" He suggested and Ichigo sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Or you could stay here and send Karin t' buy the stuff."

"No." Ichigo growled. Karin was strong but still very young. It would be all too easy for someone to overpower her and take the money, or worse. "I'll go, but you have to stay here and look after them." Ichigo knew Shiro wouldn't like that and he was right.

"Damnit Ichi! I'm supposed t' live in your head! Y'know it hurts t' hang around like that." The white warrior complained before glancing down at the grey wizard. "But okay." Ichigo blinked, not expecting that quick capitulation. It made him suspicious and he favored his partner with a frown. "What? Don't look at me like that. Was my idea is all."

"Hmm, fine." Ichigo decided to let it go. "Can we move him?" The fallen wizard was still covered in blood. Shiro nodded.

"Yeah, he'll be fine. Let's get him bundled up and lay your sisters out right so they don't wake up with cramps." Shiro knelt down and easily picked the man up. It was very unnatural to watch. The grey mage was a tall, well-built man, a bit taller than the two of them. If Shiro had been a normal man he'd have been staggering under the weight. "Too bad we don't even have a tent. Life sucks, don't it?"

"Shut up." Ichigo muttered as he pulled out the tarps. Picking up Yuzu he set her down beside Karin, then spread the waterproofed fabric over them. The other one would do for himself and the grey wizard. He certainly wasn't going to put the man with his sisters, even if he was as helpless as a newborn kitten now. "You better come back to my inner world. You'll need your strength for tomorrow."

"Righty." Shiro agreed and vanished in a wisp of white smoke. Ichigo sighed as he felt the power return to him. Keeping Shiro outside himself was very hard on him, although his partner could do many things he couldn't. Specifically, he was a master swordsman and Ichigo just wasn't. Together they were very formidable. Glancing down at the maimed wizard, Ichigo pulled the tarp over them both.

If he was at all lucid, he would question the man in the morning.


	2. Travelling Away

The next morning began with an unexpected visitor.

Ichigo sat bolt upright as he felt something nudge his side. To his shock, he found himself looking at a horse. It was a fleabitten grey mare, muddy and wet but in fine condition. The broken remains of hobbles were hanging from one leg and he quickly got up to remove them. It was unlikely the horse would hurt herself but there was no need to take chances.

"Where did you come from?" Ichigo murmured as he gently stroked a velvety nose. The horse seemed very nice and eager to make friends. "Oh, of course!" He said in realization as he glanced at the motionless grey mage. One of Aizen's followers wouldn't have been travelling on foot, and apparently the horse was bonded enough to her owner to seek him out.

_This's a bit of luck._ Shiro commented and Ichigo nodded. _Even got a saddle. Poor thing must've been wearing it all night though, that's not good._ Shiro sounded quite sympathetic with the horse and Ichigo nodded again. He could see why the grey wizard hadn't unsaddled the mare, though. He hadn't anticipated his own near death experience.

"Well, this will help a lot. All I'll need to buy is a cart. Speaking of which…" Ichigo bent over the grey wizard and began searching him. As he did, he became conscious of the fact that this man was… very well built. Extremely well built, in fact. He glanced up at his sleeping face and was surprised to see that in the light of the dawn his hair was blue. Pushing back his cloak a bit he really looked into the man's face for the first time. "Shit, he's gorgeous." He murmured to himself, forgetting about his inner passenger.

_Hell ya! I'd tap that._ Shiro chimed in and Ichigo winced before going back to the search for money. _Try his belt, he's probably got – uh. Oh._ Ichigo had accidentally pushed up the man's shirt a little, revealing his belly.

"What is that?" He whispered, staring at the hole. He'd never seen anything like it. It went all the way through the man, too, but instead of blood and flesh all he could see on the edges was grey. Reaching in, he ran his fingers over that surface and gasped as he felt the other man's aura. It was extremely powerful and very… grey.

_That's a demon hole and I'm not sure you should be touching it._ Shiro sounded mildly freaked out and Ichigo blinked, drawing his hand away. _I've heard of that, but I've only seen it once. Supposed t' be so rare… you know how demons devour souls?_

"Of course." He responded. Everyone knew that demons lived on souls.

_Normally they bite off a chunk. That's fatal when they suck out the rest. But sometimes, if the victim is too strong or if the demon gets kilt before they're done feeding, the victim'll absorb the demon instead._ Shiro explained and Ichigo stared at the hole, amazed. _That's when you get a hole like that in a living man. What amazes me is his aura. He must've been as snow white as you before that demon got him. Most people with holes like that go all black, and usually insane. Really dangerous, too, if the demon takes control. Which ain't too bad if it's a minor imp but if it ain't, well… _Ichigo could feel Shiro's mental shrug and swallowed. _Oh, don't worry. Man must be what, twenty-five? I don't think he got that thing yesterday, he won't go all demon and kill your sisters._

"Thanks Shiro." That was comforting though. Ichigo tried to search the belt without removing it and finally gave up, undoing the buckle. That made Shiro snicker but he steadfastly ignored his friend.

"Ichi-nii? What are you doing?" Came a hesitant voice and Ichigo looked up with a reassuring smile. Yuzu was sitting up and rubbing her eyes. The spell the grey wizard had hit them with had been strong, but completely harmless. Ichigo had seen no reason to interfere with it. "Who is that?" Her eyes went wide as she saw the man.

"One of Aizen's wizards. He put you and Karin to sleep. Don't worry, he's helpless." He assured her as she looked frightened. "Shiro took care of him." Ichigo examined the belt and finally found the pouch. It was sewn into the lining of the belt, just as Shiro had said, and was very well concealed. Actually, there were three pouches and Ichigo found the man kept his money sorted into coppers, silvers and golds. There were plenty of coppers and silvers but only one gold. Ichigo took that as well as a handful of silver, putting the coins into his pouch. "I'm going to buy a wagon. We'll put him in it and you and Karin too. Just say here, Shiro will look after you." His partner manifested as he said that, grinning behind his white veil.

"Darn right. You get to it Ichigo, we ain't got all day." His personal angel said mockingly and Ichigo gave him an irritated look before mounting the horse and riding out. She was very well trained and tolerated his less than stellar riding style well.

"He really has a fine horse." Ichigo murmured to himself. "Well cared for, too." That made him feel guilty, even though he knew it was irrational. But he couldn't help it. Seeing the horse reminded him that the grey wizard was a person, with hopes and dreams and at least one thing he cared for. Shaking his head he turned his attention back to the road. He needed to stay alert. With the countryside in an uproar after the invasion, there could be bandits anywhere.

He made it safely to a farm. Unfortunately, it had been looted and set on fire, which made him grimace. But at least it had been abandoned first and there were no bodies to find. There was a barn though and a quick check led him to a rickety old farm wagon. Ichigo had no compunctions about taking it. The people who'd lived here weren't going to need it anymore.

Meanwhile, Shiro was taking the time to more thoroughly examine the grey mage. His clothing was all good quality but nothing fancy, as grey as his aura but far more boring. The aura interested Shiro more. It was grey, but a sparkly sort of grey. If he stared at it long enough he could make out little flickers of brilliant white and sparkling black.

"You were white as white, once." He said to the man, examining his face again. "Why d'you seem familiar?" He tousled the blue hair with one fingertip, then noticed something strange. "Hmm?" Shiro trailed his hand down the man's cheek, stopping on his throat. "That's odd." He'd assumed the chain there was tarnished silver, but now he thought it was polished iron. There was a large stone set in it, amethyst colored but not an amethyst. To his senses, it swirled with the blackest of black magic. "Hn." He studied it carefully and scowled as he realized it was connected to the black threads in the man's aura. Shiro reached down and tugged on it experimentally. Even in his near coma the man flinched. "Got a feeling I know what this is." And he didn't like it one bit. Grumbling to himself, he decided he needed to spend his energy. Working very carefully, he coated the stone with a capsule of white power. He couldn't cut off its connection to his aura without hurting him, but he could stop anyone outside the man from reaching it, which was nearly as good.

"Hey, Shiro-chan?" Karin called and Shiro twitched his shoulders irritably. He hated that nickname for himself, but he couldn't get the girl to stop. "Has that guy got any food? We're hungry." That was no surprise. They'd run out of food just last night.

"Probably, actually. Let me go check th' saddlebags." Ichigo had unhooked those from the horse, seeing no reason to burden her unnecessarily. Sorting through the bags, Shiro was less than pleased. There was plenty of food for the horse, the problem was how the grey wizard had been feeding himself. "Well… shit. I hope you girls can share." He sighed as he looked at the green bag in his hands. It was an unusual and powerful thing, and from the grey feeling the mage had made it himself. It was impressive, a man that young making a relic. But such things had very sharp limits.

"What are you talking about – holy!" Karin's eyes went wide as Shiro reached into the bag and extracted a nice plate. It had a good, hearty breakfast of sausage, four eggs and spiced, fried potatoes.

"Well, thank god he's got a good appetite." Shiro said approvingly. This would probably fill the two girls up nicely. "If he were like that one teacher of Ichi's you'd still be starving." That woman had owned a similar bag and had used it for every meal. But her meals had consisted of tiny portions, and strictly vegetarian to boot. "Eat up girls." He passed the plate over to Karin who quickly went to Yuzu, who had been building up the fire. "Try t' save some for Ichi!" He called and they both nodded.

"Sure thing Shiro-chan!" Karin said merrily and Shiro sighed, shaking his head. That girl could be so troublesome. He was sitting on a log, idly scanning the woods, when Ichigo finally got back.

"Hey Ichigo! That is the shittiest wagon I have ever seen." Shiro greeted him as the teen swung down from the horse. It blew and pawed at the ground. The saddle was off, now, placed in the wagon. "Tell me you didn't pay much fer that piece o' trash."

"Shut up. It was free, the farm was burnt down." Ichigo said and Shiro couldn't argue with that price. "Help me get him in, then you can get back inside." That would be good for both of them. Between the two of them they picked up the man and got him into the cart, jostling him badly a few times. The grey mage whimpered, which was actually a good sign. He might come out of his coma enough to drink and eat soon.

"Although what he'll eat…" The bag would make three meals a day, whatever it had been set to. If it was really fancy, it had multiple settings but it would still be limited to three meals a day. Shiro shrugged to himself. The man was still Aizen's, if he starved that was just too bad. Although he still couldn't shake that weird feeling of familiarity. He went back to Ichigo's inner world just as Yuzu brought over the plate of food. Ichigo looked at it in absolute astonishment.

"Where did you get this?" He asked, flabbergasted. The girls had saved him exactly a third of the dish.

"Shiro gave it to us!" Yuzu said and then Shiro supplied the real answer.

_He had a bag of sustenance, Ichi. It's in the saddlebags, don't forget them._ He warned. Ichigo nodded and took the food, quickly eating it. It wasn't too much, but it was all good and wholesome, which was more than he could say of a lot of the things he'd eaten lately.

"This really is turning out to be lucky for us." Ichigo said then sighed, glancing at the man in grey. He couldn't help the stab of guilt that hit him.

_Um… I kinda hate to tell you this. It'll make you guiltier. But I think maybe you should know. _Shiro sounded surprisingly serious and Ichigo blinked. _That collar he's wearing has a weird rock in it, full of darkness, and it looks to be tied to the darkness in his aura. I can't be sure but I think it might be some kind of controller. Demon gnawed people are more vulnerable to that sort of thing._ Having a hole ripped in your soul did that, even when it was filled with demonic power. Ichigo swallowed as he understood what his angel meant.

"You think he might be Aizen's slave." That seemed horribly plausible to the young white mage and he could feel Shiro's sad agreement. "Can you get the collar off?"

_No, but I've sealed it, for now anyway. Dunno if it'll hold 'gainst the one that made it, though._ Shiro sounded pretty pessimistic and Ichigo thought he was right to be. Karin and Yuzu were both in the cart so he flicked the reins, sending the horse on her way.

With the cart and horse they made much better time than before. The roads weren't very good but the rain had stopped and they immediately began drying off. The only real problem was the grey wizard.

"Ichi? He feels really hot." Yuzu said, when they were halfway done the day. She was holding a hand against the man's forehead and looking worried. Ichigo glanced over his shoulder, unsurprised.

"He's got a fever. There's not much we can do." They couldn't afford to stay at a town. They needed to get out of the country and back home as fast as they could, which went together. Aizen wanted him badly, after what he and Shiro had done at the academy. But his father and uncle could protect him, if he could only reach them. "Can you bundle him up in the blankets and try to get him to drink?" Yuzu nodded. The blankets were a bit damp, just like the wizard's clothes, but body heat would take care of that.

"Suisen." Ichigo blinked at that hoarse voice and glanced back into the cart. Yuzu had managed to rouse the man and he was looking at her with hazy blue eyes. "Suisen?"

_Oh…_ Ichigo frowned at the tone of Shiro's exclamation. He sounded like he'd just had a revelation. But then there was a cough and his attention was drawn back to the man. He was managing to drink from the cup Yuzu was holding to his lips. But then he gripped her wrist with his remaining hand, to her slight panic.

"Suisen…" His voice faded into nothing then and he let go of her wrist, to her relief. The man's head fell back and he mumbled fitfully as he fell into a doze.

"Daffodil? Why was he saying daffodil?" Ichigo wondered. That was the meaning of the word he'd uttered, in the old tongue. Karin laughed as Yuzu rubbed her wrist.

"It's probably a name, Ichi-nii. I mean, it's no stupider than strawberry." She said and he favored her with a scowl.

"Protector! Oh, nevermind." That battle had been lost a long, long time ago. "Just leave him be for now." At least they'd gotten some water into the man.

The day continued and fortunately, it was very boring, Unfortunately, they didn't find anyone who could sell them food. The few farmsteads they past were well looted and mostly burnt. The bag of sustenance provided what the grey mage favored for lunch, which turned out to be a very large salad with seared beef strips and a cob of fresh, buttered corn. Ichigo tried to feed a bit of it to the man, but he was unconscious again. As they ate he checked his temperature and frowned. It was a fairly mild fever, but that could change at any time.

They finally set up camp as the light began to set. The horse blew wearily as he unhooked her from the cart. Ichigo took care of her, rubbing her down and checking her feet as she tucked into her supper, a bucket of grain. He'd also picked up some hay at the farmhouse and he set that out for her as well. Checking the bag, he found that supper was a large bowl of stew and a half a loaf of buttered bread with a bit of sharp yellow cheese on top. This time the mage managed to rouse enough to eat a bit of the stew, but his eyes were still hazed and Ichigo blushed as he was called papa. Shiro's titter didn't help in the least.

_Wonder what he'd call me?_ He said merrily and Ichigo smiled at the thought.

"Why don't you come out and see?" With that challenge Shiro couldn't resist and a moment later he was leaning over the grey wizard, who was sitting up, propped against a tree. Ichigo honestly expected the man to scream or something. He definitely wasn't expecting him to just look at Shiro for a moment then smile. That gentle curve of lips made him look even more attractive.

"Angel." He whispered, reaching out to touch Shiro's white robes. Ichigo burst out laughing as Shiro's eyes widened and he fell back on his ass. His partner shot him a dirty look then huffed, standing up and dusting off his robes.

"Guess he knows what you are." Ichigo said, highly entertained. Shiro was his guardian angel, although he preferred to be called partner. Shiro just huffed again before vanishing, returning to his inner world.

_I wonder if he thinks he's dead or something. His mind might be pretty messed up after that deep a healing._ Shiro commented and Ichigo frowned. That was definitely possible, it looked like the man wasn't really tracking. Sighing to himself, he decided it might be prudent to share body heat. It was still cold at night and the man was sick. Yuzu and Karin shared their blanket and Ichigo draped his over himself and the grey wizard, curling up against his uninjured side. The man had already fallen into a doze, his face open and innocent in sleep. Ichigo regarded him for a moment before closing his eyes and resolutely trying to sleep.

He might find the grey mage attractive, but it didn't matter. He didn't even know the man's name.

* * *

Ichigo frowned as he felt Shiro leave his inner world and glanced back as the angel knelt beside the grey mage. The man had been mumbling in his sleep but he'd gradually stopped.

"Ichi, we gotta problem." He said quietly as he rested his hand against the man's forehead. "He's got a fever you could bake an egg on. We need t'find a place t' stay, all this travel is killin' him." The angel sounded full of a quiet anxiety and Ichigo gave him a strange look. Why did Shiro care so much? Usually he was the more bloodthirsty of the pair.

"Shiro, I feel bad for him, I really do. He probably didn't deserve this. But we can't risk our lives for him." Ichigo said, feeling a bit sick. But he had Yuzu and Karin to worry about. Shiro gave him an absolutely miserable look.

"Y'can't let him die partner, y'just can't." He said and Ichigo frowned. This compassion really was out of character. "It just ain't right."

"…Fine." Ichigo surrendered. Shiro really didn't ask for much. And the thought of letting the grey wizard die really didn't sit well with him, either. He was a white wizard and he lived to protect. Just letting someone die… it wasn't his nature. "We'll have to find some place to stay. Keep a lookout for anything good." He said and Shiro nodded before relaying the instructions to Karin and Yuzu.

Well before nightfall, they found what they were looking for. A farmhouse that had been looted but miraculously left unburnt. There were corpses inside and Ichigo had to swallow hard before dragging them out the back door. He would give them a decent burial later. One of the beds was covered in blood – he preferred not to think about how that had happened – but two smaller ones were intact. Working with his guardian angel, Ichigo stripped down the grey mage and put him to rest in one of those beds. Then he made use of the kitchen and began putting together a tea to reduce the fever. If they could get the man to drink it, it might help.

"Don't go out the back door." He called to his sisters as they began to search the house for anything interesting or edible. "There're dead bodies out there." He added as Karin scowled and Yuzu looked at him in puzzlement. They both went pale and nodded. "Try to find some food if you can." He didn't think they would find anything but it would keep them busy.

He was dead wrong about that. Yuzu interrupted him in his stirring to tell him she'd found something very interesting.

"See Ichi-nii?" She said as Ichigo knelt on the floor. Part of the floorboards was a slightly different color. "I think it's at trap door. It was hidden under a rug." She said excitedly and for good reason. Ichigo gently pushed on the wood and finally figured out how to open it.

"Ah!" The trap door opened up to show a ladder. Ichigo frowned before calling on a tiny bit of white magic and creating a floating ball of light. Climbing down the ladder he quickly glanced around and grinned. "Good work Yuzu!" This was definitely a stash of food, probably hidden from the tax collectors. It was never good to look too prosperous when the tax collectors were around. "Hmm…" Ichigo looked around carefully. The room wasn't very big and it wasn't a lot of food but it would be more than enough for them. He quickly gathered several jars and handed them up to Yuzu, following them with a package of what looked like salted, preserved meat. Then he opened a bag and took out a handful of potatoes. "We can make a good soup with all this." Hopefully they'd even be able to get the grey wizard to eat it. Ichigo grimaced at the thought, climbing back up the ladder. If they couldn't get the man to eat he was probably going to die.

But he could only do what he could.

* * *

They spent two days in the farmhouse. Ichigo begrudged every moment, worried that Aizen might have dispatched someone else to follow up after his grey wizard. And what about the wizard himself? If Aizen knew he was alive he might want the man back.

_Or he might kill him for failin' an' losin' his arm. He's not exactly a forgiving master._ Shiro observed and Ichigo winced.

"And if he is a slave, that's even more likely." Ichigo knew that with sick certainty. If Aizen got his grey mage back, the man's life might be very short. "But he still might want him back." Aizen didn't just give up his things. There was a soft sigh from Shiro.

_Too true. Why don't you go see if he can eat a bit more of that soup?_ Shiro suggested and Ichigo nodded. They'd caught a stray chicken that had been wandering around and put it to use, making a really excellent soup.

When he got upstairs Ichigo got a surprise. The man was sitting up, his back against the headboard. His blue eyes were alert and wary. He examined Ichigo for a moment before his gaze fell on the bowl of soup in his hands.

"For me?" He asked and Ichigo nodded before sitting beside him. "What… you don't have to feed me." He snarled but Ichigo just gave him a severe look.

"Yes, I do. Your hand is trembling and you would spill this everywhere." He said and the grey wizard looked away. Ichigo bit his lip as he saw the flash of pain across that handsome face. "What's your name?" He asked, determined not to feel guilty. The grey wizard blinked and looked at him again.

"Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez, Sexta to Aizen-sama." The sama part was said with a note of bitter irony. "And you?" He asked as Ichigo began to spoon the soup into his mouth.

"Ichigo Kurosaki." He said absently as he fed the man. Even the way he ate soup was sexy and Ichigo felt his pants tightening. He resolutely suppressed his desire, though, and focused on just getting the soup into him. It was several minutes before the man spoke again.

"Good job on my collar. How did you know about the tracker?" He asked and Ichigo froze as he heard Shiro curse softly.

"We… didn't. What tracker?" He asked, dreading the answer. Grimmjow looked surprised for a moment then laughed. It was wild and unrestrained, and somehow seemed to suit the man very well. Ichigo had a feeling that Grimmjow liked to indulge his passions.

"Holy shit! You, kid, are proof that the gods take care of fools and children." He said with a grin, then tapped the stone in his collar. "This has a tracker. Aizen can tell where I am at any time, along with any flunkies he gives his controlling rings to." There was a deep bitterness in his voice. "But not with this shield of holy energy over it. They won't be able to find me now, unless they get really close."

_Shit! I should have thought of that. Thank the gods I did put that shield on._ Shiro sounded relieved and Ichigo felt the same way. They'd narrowly dodged an arrow.

"So you're Aizen's slave?" He asked quietly, although the grey wizard had pretty much confirmed it. There was a moment of silence and Grimmjow shrugged.

"Yeah, I suppose. I haven't done too badly out of it though, until now anyway. But I didn't have a choice if that's what you mean." He said, his blue eyes cold as the roof of the world. Ichigo kept feeding him until the spoon scraped the bottom of the bowl. "Did Aizen know you had a guardian angel?" He asked and Ichigo shook his head.

"No, I just killed one of his wizards. He wouldn't have known how." Ichigo answered and Grimmjow's eyes regained a bit of warmth and life.

"Good. I won't have to kill someone." He grunted before glancing out the window. It was dark out. "I'm still in shitty condition but we should move out tomorrow. You can bet that as soon as he lost touch with my stone, Aizen sent someone out to get me." Grimmjow warned and Ichigo nodded. "I might only be the Sexta but that's because of my lack of loyalty. My power is top notch. He'll want me back."

"Right." Ichigo could see the lack of loyalty right in front of him. But then, why should the grey wizard be loyal to the man who had enslaved him? That was just silly. "We'll get moving tomorrow morning. We should be close to the border by now." He said optimistically. Grimmjow just shook his head. "We'll make it."

"I hope you're right kid. I hope you're right…" Grimmjow carefully moved himself down and closed his eyes. Ichigo gently pulled a blanket over him. It was fairly warm out but it could still get chilly at night.

The last thing Grimmjow needed was to get sick again.


End file.
